


A Chance Encounter

by barbaesparza



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Did I really put a Shakespeare quote in here?, F/M, Liv POV, Olivia Benson Week, Rafael Barba Week, Rafael POV, SVU Character Appreciation, Speed Dating, TW assholes, originally written for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-12-29 19:02:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12091407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbaesparza/pseuds/barbaesparza
Summary: Speed dating. Lieutenant Olivia Benson never thought she’d see the day. Yet, here she is. Will anyone catch her eye?





	1. Liv

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OblivionCastro](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OblivionCastro/gifts).



> Dedicated to Kayla because I definitely wrote it with her in mind... her reaction to reading it filled my heart with pure, unadulterated joy.
> 
> Originally posted on tumblr for Olivia Benson Week. #svucharacterappreciation

It’s thanks to Amanda and Fin that Liv finds herself here in a room full of strangers when she’d much rather be at home reading a bedtime story to Noah. It had been an early birthday gift, a presumptuous one, but Amanda had insisted… one of her friends had met her boyfriend at one of these things, and they’ve been together for two years now.

Liv had mentally berated herself for her lack of good judgment in complaining to Amanda, one night after a few glasses too many, about how it would be nice to come home to someone for once, someone who might take care of her for a change.

Although Amanda had smiled knowingly, fortunately for her she could no longer join in the lament.

“Amanda, I… thank you, but I just don’t think it’s my scene.”

“Well, it’s up to you. Go, don’t go. But you never know who you might meet…”

Fin had stayed out of it, but Amanda had made sure to tell her that the gift was from him, too. He gave her a quick smile from afar, which Liv returned.

Liv made no promises, and in fact had dismissed the idea of going to the event. She had almost forgotten about the whole thing.

She was reminded of it two nights before the date, when she sat down at her coffee table after she’d put Noah to bed.

She laid her head down on the couch, and the world was so unbelievably quiet. She could remember a time not so long ago that the apartment was never quiet, even when Noah was asleep. There was the tapping of a keyboard, the rustle of papers and the occasional whisper in her ear.

She sighed. The air was cold, and she got up to turn on the heat. On her way, she saw the invitation that she had thrown carelessly on the side table. The curling gold script promised her a classy evening of mingling, with free appetizers and an open bar beforehand. ‘ _40% of candidates leave with a match!’_ the invitation had boasted. Liv snorted, unsure if that success rate was worth bragging about.

Still, an open bar… _not_ actually free, Liv reflected. Amanda and Fin had paid for this, and Liv decided that the least she could do was go and enjoy a couple of drinks on them.

That’s how Liv finds herself in this noisy room, which confuses her because most people here don’t even appear to be talking.

The friendly-looking silver-haired lady taps on her wine glass and makes an introductory announcement. Liv snaps up from her thoughts, resolving to at least stay for a while.

As everyone takes their places, with the ladies on the inside circle and the men on the outside, her sense of trepidation threatens to make itself known again.

Liv breathes. _You can do this. You’re a grown woman. You can talk to a few strangers and nod and smile no matter how weird this is._

The bell dings and Liv tries to focus on the man in front of her. He’s good-looking, she’ll give him that.

“Hi,” he smiles a too-wide smile.

“Hi. I’m Olivia.”

“I’m Patrick. So what do you do?”

“Uh, I’m with the police.”

“Oh wow, a woman police officer, that’s cool.”

Liv bristles.

“Actually, I’m a Lieutenant. Not that it matters.”

The man, _Patrick,_ blinks at her.

“Cool, cool.”

“What about you?”

“Corporate.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“I uh, do quality control,” he says, explaining his company’s product and the challenges of keeping the product cost effective while maintaining maximum quality.

Liv nods, feeling her eyes glaze over.

“You enjoy that?”

“It’s fine. Pays the bills.”

Liv nods and smiles. She looks around subtly to find the hostess poised with her finger over the bell.

“Well. It was lovely to meet you, Patrick,” she says saccharinely.

 _Ding._ Thank God.

“You too, Olivia,” he stands and extends a hand, which Liv shakes reluctantly.

“Best of luck with the rest of your search,” Liv says politely, in a way that she hopes implies not to bother writing her name down.

He grins at her and moves onto the next table.

The next man to sit in front of her is a balding guy in his sixties named Arthur. He’s nice enough, a retired car salesman. The only thing going against him, apart from the fact that Liv is 0% attracted to him, is the fact that he seems to have trouble maintaining eye contact.

Or to put it more precisely, he keeps staring at her chest. And it’s not subtle. _Ugh._

“Arthur. You have children?”

“Huh?”

“You have children? An ex-wife?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah. Plenty of those.”

“Great.”

“You’re really beautiful, you know?”

_I know. But how would you? You’ve barely looked at my face in 3 long minutes._

“Thank you,” Liv accepts pleasantly.

“I’ll make sure to write you down, _Olivia.”_

Liv bites down the urge to say _Don’t bother._

“That’s sweet,” she says. “Good luck to you.”

“And to you, my dear.”

_Ding._

Liv rolls her eyes, wondering if she’d screw up the circle system if she left right now.

But before she can, the next man has already sat down. Leaving at this precise moment would be rude, she tells herself grudgingly. She takes a deep breath and shifts to face the man before her.

She tries not to gasp audibly. This man is more handsome than any other she’d seen in the room. It’s a wonder she hadn’t noticed him before.

He smiles at her, clearly amused.

She swallows.

"Barba. What are you doing here?"

"It's Rafael," Barba says, pointing needlessly to his tacky name tag.

"Okay. Rafael. What brings you here?"

He sighs.

"A friend mentioned it to me. I wasn't really interested, but in the end I had nothing better to do. And now I can tell my mami I'm putting myself out there without having to lie."

"I like a mama's boy," Liv says with a twinkle.

Rafael gives her a glare which manages to be both fond and judgmental.

"So tell me about yourself, Olivia."

Liv closes her mouth, taking in the relaxed demeanour of her friend, noting the lack of tie. She smiles carefully.

"I, um... I like spending time with my son, going to the beach, good wine, squabbling with you, you know, all the usual things."

Rafael smiles wryly.

"What about you? What do you like..." she flicks her eyes to the name tag, pretending she needs the reminder, "Rafael?"

He raises an eyebrow at her, before drawing in a breath and answering in one go.

"Coffee, spending time alone, going to the theatre, scotch..."

He pauses.

"Squabbling with you," he adds with his signature smirk.

Liv locks eyes with him, reminded of their conversation from so long ago.

Rafael stares back, with something in his eyes Liv is sure she's seen there before but still can't quite name.

The bell dings, interrupting Liv from her reverie.

Rafael clears his throat and quickly scribbles something on his notepad and tears it off, sliding it over to Liv.

"Call me."

7 familiar digits, signed with his name.

"Uh... I have your number."

"It's the gesture," Rafael says simply, standing up.

Liv can't honestly say her heart doesn't speed up a little at that.

She looks up at him through her eyelashes.

"Maybe I will."

"I'm counting on it," he replies, and with a small, pleased smile, he turns away.

Liv makes it through the rest of the hour, nodding and smiling. Although her mind isn’t in it, she’s finding it much less of an effort to smile.

A few tables away, Rafael glances over after a _ding._ Their eyes meet, and Liv’s heart thumps loudly. He gives her a look which says _‘You’d better call me.’_ Liv answers with an easy grin.

Maybe, just maybe, there’s hope left for them yet.

As he turns away slowly, Amanda’s words echo in Liv’s ear. _You never know who you might meet…_


	2. Rafael

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rafael's POV. Covers the same period as the first chapter.
> 
> Rita Calhoun oversteps, as is her custom, and provides an unusual invitation along with a convincing argument.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Companion chapter is here! Thanks so much for all the comments you left and the interest there has been in this Rafael POV as well as following events.
> 
> Originally posted on Tumblr for Rafael Barba Week. #svucharacterappreciation

Rafael glares at the backs of the two detectives as they leave his office. They hadn’t done anything wrong, oh no. They rarely do.

But their presence, in his office, together, is frankly _annoying._

He sighs, before noticing Rita Calhoun hovering in the doorway.

“Still pining, then.” It’s not phrased as a question.

“Come in, Rita,” Rafael says, ignoring her completely.

She sits primly in front of him, watching him.

“What do you need?”

“Hm, actually, I was wondering if you’re free next Friday night?”

“Why, are you asking me somewhere?”

“No… Well, yes, but not with me.”

Rafael raises an eyebrow.

“Okay…?”

Rita taps her phone busily, sending an email off.

Rafael’s phone buzzes in his pocket. He reaches for it, suspecting Rita.

He proves to be correct.

 

 _From: Rita Calhoun_  
_See link._

 

He taps the link impatiently.

“Rita? What the hell is this?”

“It’s a social invitation.”

“To a _speed dating_ event?”

“Mhm. Oh, don’t worry, _I’m_ not going.”

“I’d gathered that. What-”

“Please don’t be offended. Hell, do. I don’t care. But please know that this is a suggestion of pure intentions, and not one just to point out how horribly single and pathetic you are.”

Rafael narrows his eyes.

“Well, you’ve managed to do that anyway, regardless of your intentions.”

“I’m gratified.”

Rafael stares at her coolly.

“You could use something like this, Rafael,” Rita says, tone softening slightly.

“What makes you think spending an evening talking to strange women in an exercise of whiplash is an appropriate cure?”

“Answering that would require you to acknowledge that there’s something from which you need curing. Frankly, I’d agree.”

Rafael opens his mouth, then closes it quickly.

“These things don’t work. Who would know if they’re interested in someone after talking to them for two seconds?”

Rita sighs.

“Look at it this way. You go, drink some wine, get your ego stroked, see what’s out there.

“Or, you meet someone nice. Get her number.”

Rafael purses his lips. Well, when she put it that way...

“The jury is not convinced.”

“Or,” Rita says again with emphasis, “you sit at home, alone on a Friday night, _pining._ I know which one I’d choose…”

“No. Now get out of my office, unless there was actually something you wanted to discuss, something other than the pitiful state of my love life or lack thereof.”

“Actually, there _was_ something…” Rita says, grabbing a file from her carry bag and slapping it on Rafael’s desk.

As they talk, Rafael tries not to let his mind wander to the object of his _pining,_ as Rita had so indelicately put it.

He scribbles forcefully, cursing Rita for her perceptiveness. She never could mind her own business.

* * *

Damn Rita.

It’s thanks to a follow-up text from her that Rafael’s reminded of it. Because she never could leave a thing alone.

He pulls up the link again on Sunday night, skimming the information.

Paying for a bout of social anxiety? Why not? _Sounds like a great idea, Rita!_

Tuesday night is different. It had been a long day, a frustrating day, full of legal loopholes and yet one more instance of Carisi yelling in his face. Rafael will never admit it to Rita, but he’s edging dangerously closer to following through with her suggestion.

Glass of scotch in one hand, he hovers his finger over the submission button on the entry form, pulled up on his phone.

 _Eh, what’s the worst that can happen?_ he thinks. He taps the button decisively.

He regrets it almost immediately.

 _What’s done cannot be undone,_ his mind supplies wistfully.

He drains his glass and calls it a night.

* * *

He forgets all about it until he receives a helpful reminder email on Thursday.

He could just… not show up.

That would work. But…

He recalls his last phone call with his mother.

“Rafi, it’s fine you’re not married yet, but I want you to be happy, you know? Are you even trying?”

“You know I hardly have time with work. But I’m happy, Mami. Sometimes.”

He sighs deeply.

He wants to try, he thinks. He decides to try.

* * *

Rafael walks in late, ignoring the open bar and taking one of the empty seats, opposite a well put-together woman with her hair in a neat bun. Her name is Jacqueline, according to her name tag. He forces himself to smile, earning a polite nod in return. The hostess welcomes them and announces the start of the event, sounding her bell cheerfully.

Rafael clears his throat.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“Uh. My name’s Rafael.”

“My name’s Jacqueline, but call me Jacquie.”

“Okay. What do you do, Jacquie?”

“I’m a yoga instructor.”

“That sounds… interesting.”

“It is, and it isn’t. I used to love it, but it can get boring, day after day. What do you do?”

“I’m a lawyer. I know, boring.”

“Well, it must be the opposite.”

“It can be. Not in a good way, though.”

Jacquie lets him elaborate further on his work, which Rafael does, not knowing how else to continue the conversation. She nods along, doing a good job of appearing interested.

He cuts himself off.

“So enough about me,” he says. “Yoga, used to love it, now don’t. So what is it you do love?”

Jacquie sighs.

“I’d love to dance,” she tells him dreamily. “But I’m too old now, you know.”

“Uh. Really? Um. Is dancing that different to yoga instructing?”

“I think it is. If I could dance, I could perform. Instructing yoga is all about getting other people to relax, to test their limits, to get in tune with their bodies. It might be selfish, but I’d like to finally focus on me and what I can do, you know?”

Rafael nods, just as the bell signals the end of their conversation.

“I wish you all the best with that, Jacquie.”

“Thank you, Rafael. Keep putting those bad guys away.”

“I’ll try,” he replies, smiling.

 

Sitting at the next table is a young woman with cropped black hair named Lilly, who is extremely gifted in the small talk department. He lets her talk, not really listening as she jumps wildly from one topic to the next. He catches something about her cats, then her latest trip abroad. Out of the corner of his eye, he catches a familiar movement from the next table. He darts his eyes over, and has to do a double take. He then scrambles to refocus on Lilly, who has suddenly decided to ask him a question for the first time.

“So what do you do, Rafael?”

“I’m- I’m a lawyer.”

“Oh, no kidding! And you just let me jabber on like that when you could have been enlightening me with your legal expertise?”

Rafael frowns. He replays the snatches of conversation he’d been listening to back in his head. Maybe Lilly had said something about being a law student. He sighs.

“I’m sure you’re more than capable.”

“I could always use help. What kind of law do you practice?”

“Criminal. I’m an ADA.”

“Wow. And here I was, making a fool of myself.”

Rafael shifts uncomfortably.

“Not at all,” he denies affably, slightly guilty about his inability to pay attention to her.

The bell dings.

“Anyway, it was nice to meet you, Lilly.”

“You too, Mr. ADA.”

They shake hands.

 

As glad as he is to walk away, he’s also dreading moving to the next station.

He sits down hesitantly, watching the woman with dark wavy hair, admiring the way her black dress hugs her figure perfectly. She looks a little bit pissed off. She sighs, turning to face Rafael with no small amount of reluctance.

As recognition, then surprise, then panic flash in her eyes, Rafael just smiles at her, amused.

He takes in the woman before him, his best friend, looking beautiful as always.

"Barba. What are you doing here?"

"It's Rafael," Barba corrects, pointing to his name tag.

"Okay. Rafael. What brings you here?" Liv asks with a bemused smile.

Rafael sighs. Why _is_ he here? A surely inadvisable combination of a lack of plans, loneliness, and _Rita_.

"A friend mentioned it to me. I wasn't really interested, but in the end I had nothing better to do. And now I can tell my mami I'm putting myself out there without having to lie."

"I like a mama's boy," Liv says annoyingly.

Rafael shoots daggers at her in an obligatory fashion.

She smiles back at him innocently, looking angelic in the dim light, and Rafael resigns himself to be charmed even by Liv’s taunts.

"So tell me about yourself, Olivia."

Liv gapes slightly, as if the last thing she’d expected was for Rafael to take the fact that they were speed dating seriously. She looks him over, as if assessing whether he really wants her to answer the question. Apparently satisfied with the results, she smiles, guarded.

"I, um... I like spending time with my son, going to the beach, good wine, squabbling with you, you know, all the usual things."

Rafael’s heart skips a beat, despite knowing it doesn’t mean anything. Not a thing.

"What about you? What do you like..." Liv questions, her eyes roaming across Rafael’s chest before continuing, "Rafael?"

He raises an eyebrow at her, simultaneously unimpressed and amused that she’s playing along with the whole charade. He draws in a breath and lists off his answers to her question unemotionally.

"Coffee, spending time alone, going to the theatre, scotch..."

He trails off, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Squabbling with you," he tacks on with a nervous quirk of his lips, before he can chicken out.

Liv holds his gaze, smile soft and eyes softer.

Rafael can’t look away, not when Liv, _his Liv,_ is looking at him like that.

He blinks at her dumbly, and watches as she tilts her head adorably to the side.

He’s contemplating his next move when the wretched bell dings, effectively ruining the moment.

He sighs, tearing his eyes away. Hastily, he jots down his number and tears it off, sliding it over to Liv.

"Call me," he tells her, purposely making his voice sound stronger than how he feels.

Liv looks up at him, confused.

"Uh... I have your number," she states, as if he had forgotten.

Rafael shrugs.

"It's the gesture," he says, standing up.

Liv looks up at him through her lashes with a gentle grin.

"Maybe I will," she says coyly.

"I'm counting on it," he replies, filing away the sparkle in her eyes to study another time.

He turns away, striding over to the next table. He hesitates, considering making a run for it and saving everyone’s time, but isn’t sure what kind of message that would send to Liv. He sits, trying not to frown at the next unsuspecting woman.

The rest of the hour is a blur for Rafael. Most of the women are nice enough, but none come even close to holding a candle to the woman who had long stolen his heart.

Rafael glances over to Liv’s table after a ding. Their eyes meet, and Rafael hopes that Monday will be different for them. He wonders if Liv will call him, if she would humor him like that. Presently, Liv chooses to humor him with a bright smile.

Rafael sighs, turning away slowly, and idly wonders whether Rita will be proud of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope to do a final short chapter to wrap this up nicely.
> 
> Comments are always appreciated :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! I plan to write a companion chapter from Rafael's POV.
> 
> By the way, the guy she remembers is Tucker :)


End file.
